The great weakness of all Labour governments is their cornucopian approach to money. This reflects their usual school-teacher, public service and the like non-commercial backgrounds.
It’s why, (the Clark government excepted) allowing them at absolute best two terms to institute desirable changes is critical, failing which they will bankrupt the nation.
Typical of this laissez-faire approach is the announcement that a Canterbury insect specialist has been given almost a million dollars of taxpayer money to “research” whether spiders can count (I’m not making this up). Personally, I couldn’t give a damn whether spiders can count but the news-item doesn’t explain why anyone else should care.
It will come as no surprise to learn this decision was made on our behalf by the New Zealand branch of the Royal Society, an outfit with a record which disgraces that great organisation’s founding principles of respect for truth. But it’s overdue for the government to stop funding them, albeit indirectly, until rational and sensible people are in charge.
The Opposition should be hammering this indulgent fool-hardiness.